Waterloo Celebrates 50 Years of Statistics and Actuarial Science

The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo) celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of its Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science with a two-day conference, July 26–27, 2017. Over 200 people attended the event, which featured plenary talks by graduates and others associated with the university, a session on the history of statistics and actuarial science at UWaterloo and in the rest of Canada, and a special dinner.

CIA President Sharon Giffen, herself a graduate of the program, spoke at the event and presented a plaque recognizing this milestone on behalf of the CIA. During her presentation, Ms. Giffen provided some interesting statistics about the university and the Institute:

Of just over 5000 CIA members, about 1 in 5 are UWaterloo grads;

UWaterloo grads represent approximately 1 in 5 of our long-serving volunteers; and

Currently, 6 of 16 CIA Board members, including Past President Dave Dickson, Ms. Giffen, and our President-Elect, John Dark, are all UWaterloo grads.

“That is an impressive concentration,” Ms. Giffen continued. “The education received at Waterloo and the work ethic and ethos that are established [t]here have carried through the careers of actuarial professionals and have undoubtedly influenced professional practice in Canada.”

Congratulations to the University of Waterloo and its Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science on this milestone.